Improvement in riddles or sieves



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WTLLIAM PAGE, or EPsoM, AssrGNoE 0E ONE-HALE Eis EIGHT To JOHN SMITH, or cAEsnALToN, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN RIDDLES OR SIEVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent 110.121,19?, dated November 21, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PAGE, of Epsom, England, have invented an Improved Adjustable Riddle or Sieve, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to a riddle or sieve so constructed that its apertures may be opened and closed to make the sieve coarse or fine, according to the nature or quality of the substance to be screened or sifted. The said invention is designed to furnish a method of construction whereby a single riddle or sieve is made to form an efcient substitute for a series of sieves of different degrees of ineness, and will be, therefore, highly advantageous in all operations and machines wherein it has hitherto been necessary to employ a number of sieves or riddles, some coarse and some ne, and to remove a sieve that has been used for one substance and replace it by another whenever a different substance or a diiierent quality of the same substance is to be screened or sifted. The said invention is applicable to riddles or sieves for sifting, screening7 or separating any materials that have to be so treatedfeut it will be found particularly advantageous in machines for thrashing, winnowing, and cleaning wheat, barley, oats, peas, beans, tares, and other grain or seed; also, for screening coal, gravel, and other mineral substances.

I construct my improved riddles, sieves, or screens as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure lis a plan of one of the said riddles or sieves. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line a; w, Fig. l. Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections drawn to an enlarged scale on the line y y, Fig. 1, and illustrating the manner of adjusting the sieve. Fig. 5 is an external view of a cylindrical sieve or screen constructed according to my invention. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 7 a transverse section of the same.

Like letters indicate the same parts through- Y out the drawing.

that these holes should be circular, as shown, but

they may be square, oblong, oval, or triangular, or the sieve may be made with long slots or apertures extending entirely across the bottom. One of these perforated plates a has its edges bent over to form grooves a2 for the other bottom b to slide in, as clearly shown in Fig. 2; or a separate frame may be provided and attached to the sieve in any suitable manner. The plate b is iitted to slide freely in the grooves a2 at the sides of the plate a, so that it may be adjusted thereon to any required position; and by this adjustment of one plate upon the other in my improved sieve I accomplish the object of its peculiar construction, viz., the variation in the size of the holes or apertures, whereby I am enabled to adapt one sieve to any kind or quality of grain' or other substancethat is to say, the effective or real area of each aperture of the sieve being the space between the lines l 2 of the holes al b', by adjusting the plates so that these lines are nearer together or further apart I obviously contract or enlarge the said apertures. If the plates a b are set in the position shown in Fig. 3, where the holes in both plates are opposite each other, the apertures are opened to their full size and the sieve will then be adapted for sifting or separating very coarsematerials. But, if the plates are adjusted as shown in Fig. 4, the holes in one plate are nearly covered by the solid portions of the other plate, and the sieve is then adapted for sifting or separating very fine materials, or the plates may be set in any intermediate position. I have shown the sieve provided with a screw, d, for adjusting the plates, the said screw being passed through the lug e on the plate a into the lug j' on the other plate, which is tapped to secure the screw. But, instead of this screw, I may provide the sieve with a lever, a small eccentric or cam, or any other convenient means of adjustment. The holes or apertures al in the upper bottom or plate should be countersunk, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to allow the grain or other substance to enter freely in whatever position the sieve may be placed. By referring to Fig. l it will be seen that the holes in the bottoms or plates a b are not all of the same size, those at one end being small those in the middle portion larger, and those in the other end still larger. This construction of the sieve is more especially designedfor thrashing or winnowing-machines, or other machines wherein grain or seed is screened or sited. The

riddle or sieve is intended to be placed in an inclined position, the portion with the small holes being the highest. By thus having the holes of different sizes I am enabled to separate different kinds or sizes of grain or seed from each other Without adjusting the sieve or riddle, and can accomplish thereby all that can be effected by the adjustable Wire-screens now in use for similar purposes, and which are much more costly than my improved riddles. The cylindrical sieve or drum, shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, consists of an inner cylinder, g, and outer cylinder, h. These cylinders are preferably formed of thin sheet metal and perforated in the same manner as the flat plates a b. The outer cylinder h is tted to slide telescopically upon the cylinder g to effttthe enlargement or diminution of the holes or apertures al b, and this adjustment of the said cylinders is effected by the screw d or by any other suitable contrivance, as above described. d is a small key or feather for preventing the turning of one cylinder Without the other; or, if preferred, the outer cylinder g may be made to adjust by turning it upon the inner cylinder to open or close the said holes or apertures. The holes in this cylindrical screen or drum may be of different sizes, as in Figs. 5 and 6, or all of one supported by its journalsz'in bearings in a thrashing-machine, and to be rotated by the pinion j, which is to be geared with a wheel or pinion on one of the shafts of the said machine. inner screw or Worm 7c, which is fixed in the inner cylinder and revolves with the drum, feeds the grain or seed through the drum as the same revolves.

I claiml. A riddle, sieve, or screen with a double bottom, or a bottom formed of tWo perforated plates or sheets, made adjustable in such a manner that the holes or perforations therein are opened or vclosed by moving one plate upon the other, and provided with a screw or other device for adjustiig and retaining them in any required position.

2. A cylindrical screen or sieve consisting of an inner and outer perforated cylinder, fitted together-and adjustable With regard to each other, and provided with a screw or other device for adjusting and holding them, as hereinabove specified, and with or without the interior screw or worm.

size. The said drum, as shown, is intended to be WM. PAGE.

Witnesses:

WM. Ronr. LAKE, lV. J. LOWE. (159) The large y 

